Few questions settled during Texans' offseason workouts

One of the biggest questions facing the Texans coming out of minicamp is the status of safety Ed Reed and whether he will be ready for the season opener after having arthroscopic hip surgery April 30.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

In the sticky heat of offseason workouts and practices, the Texans began to see what their 2013 selves will look like.

"I think this team is going to be different (than last year's)," coach Gary Kubiak said. "There's going to be some different leadership on this team. There is going to be some new young guys. … Hopefully we stay good and healthy and come together as a group like we did last year."

Still, the voluntary and mandatory portions gave only a glimpse. So much remains unsettled.

Who will be the right tackle?

This is the most crucial question the Texans have after their offseason work.

"Our four starters are locked in up front, putting (guard) Brandon (Brooks) in with those guys," Kubiak said. "I think even those guys are looking, thinking, 'OK, who's it going to be? Who's going to step up and take this job and play here for the next 10 years and play right tackle for the Texans?' So I think we're all watching that."

Last season, right tackle and right guard were major question marks after the Texans lost Eric Winston and Mike Briesel. It shook up an offensive line that was accustomed to continuity. As the season progressed, Brooks solidified his status at right guard, but the right tackle position remained unsettled with Derek Newton, who played through injuries, and Ryan Harris alternating.

Newton missed the Texans' offseason program recovering from knee surgery. Third-round draft pick Brennan Williams injured his knee during rookie minicamp and missed organized team activities and minicamp. That meant Harris and sixth-round pick David Quessenberry took offseason repetitions with Quessenberry learning and growing rapidly.

Time to throw was an issue for quarterback Matt Schaub last season and a solid and stable offensive line should help him.

When will Ed Reed return?

Despite Reed's 12-minute news conference Tuesday - the first time he spoke to local media since having arthroscopic hip surgery April 30 - questions remain about his status.

Reed said he will have a better idea of his status when training camp begins. He hasn't ruled out missing the early part of the season, though he's said that's what he's shooting for. More specifically, Reed said he and the Texans are aiming for September.

That seems to indicate he could miss most or all of training camp and part of the preseason.

There isn't much we can conclude on the timeline about Reed's last arthroscopic hip surgery, either. The timing was similar. He underwent the procedure after the draft and then spent the offseason recovering. He was not ready for the regular season and began it on the physically unable to perform list. But, that surgery required bone shaving, which can significantly increase the recovery time after a hip scope. This time, Reed says, the surgery wasn't that extensive.

Which running back will join Arian Foster and Ben Tate on the roster?

For an undrafted rookie free-agent running back, there might not have been a better spot to land than the Texans.

The Texans went into camp with Foster, Tate and Justin Forsett last season; this season they only have two players solidly on the roster. That leaves four undrafted rookies and one young veteran free agent competing for that last spot.

Dennis Johnson, a rookie out of Arkansas, played the best of the rookies during OTAs and minicamp.

Of course, the competition is far from over. Once the Texans put on pads, they will have a better sense of which running back fits best.

What will the linebacking corps look like this season?

Health permitting, this is a question the Texans have mostly answered.

A healthy Darryl Sharpton appears likely to start next to a healthy Brian Cushing at inside linebacker with Brooks Reed and Whitney Mercilus starting outside.

From there, the questions are these: How will Cushing's body react once he starts football activities? The team announced he would be medically cleared by Dr. James Andrews on July 17, nearly nine months removed from his anterior cruciate ligament replacement surgery. How will rookie outside linebacker Sam Montgomery react after struggling through the offseason? And will Mercilus thrive in his new role, a year after setting a Texans rookie record for sacks?

Why should we expect more red-zone touchdowns from the Texans?

It's not that the Texans were bad in the red zone, but they could have used better efficiency in the red zone. According to NFL game statistics, the Texans scored touchdowns on 57.14 percent of their red-zone trips, behind 11 teams.

The addition of Greg Jones could aid the running game in that area (and if Vonta Leach decides he wants to take a deal at or close to the minimum to return, he could further that cause).

The addition of DeAndre Hopkins could help, too. Hopkins showed his ability in the offseason, but has some learning to do.

And solidifying the offensive line could help.

Will it? That's one of the many questions the Texans will start to answer after a six-week hiatus.

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